Friendly Rivalry
by Yur-Fluffyness
Summary: IYxBlack Cat Crossover. Train Heartnet. A man famous for his deadly accuracy and his tendency to leave a trail of bad luck in his wake. Unfortunately for him, a little friendly rivalry gets him in hot water and leaves him with more than a few bruises.
1. Prolouge

A/N: A short one before we begin with our tale. This story was adopted by me (Yur_Fluffyness) from the illustrious firefox369. She so graciously allowed me to continue (and remake) her story, Friendly Rivalry. I'm not quite sure where I'm going to with this, though. I'll try my best!

The usual "I don't own these characters" etc

----BCIY----

The moon was barely peeking out of the clouds, but what little shine it gave off revealed a barely lit mansion. At the gates that barred the mansion from the rest of the world, a lone wolf sat. Its fur rippled as it threw back its head and let out a long, haunting howl. Its ears perked up when there was a rustle nearby, and its golden eyes gazed into the shadows. Its nostrils flared and then it began to wag its tail.

A figure, hidden in the shadows, approached and patted the wolf on its head. The wolf let out a pleased growl.

"Good boy." cooed the newcomer, bright violet eyes watching the mansion through the darkness. The eyes narrowed, and both the figure and the wolf disappeared, leaving the clearing empty of anything but leaves and silence.

The lights in the mansion went out.

There was a feminine scream.

A gun shot rang out. Then more, too many to count.

Then…Silence.

After a few moments, two pairs of eyes walked easily out of the gates. They, wolf and human, stopped in the clearing, looking mournfully into each other's eyes. Violet met gold. And once again, they disappeared.

And once again, there was silence.

No noise, no lights, and no movement.

Only Death.

----BCIY----

A/N: Yes, yes, I know, very short. I decided to make a prologue instead of this being a part of the first chapter. Good thing is, I will post the next chapter very soon! So, be happy!

Read firefox369's fanfics! They're good!


	2. I: Vow

A/N: Here is chapter one. Chapter two should be up before the week is over.

-------BCIY---------

Screaming.

Then, BANG!

Blood.

Death.

How easily one can describe my entire past, present, and future. I look back now and know that I did not expect to become what I did…To become a slave to the Chronos Numbers as a child…To become a killer. My parents betrayed me, sold me to the Chronos Numbers to pay off their own debts.

It was only expected that hatred would poison my heart.

My life wasn't easy. I wasn't supposed to exist. I was just an unnecessary number…A mistake that was erased from record when the Numbers decided that XIV didn't belong. My "father's" mistake. It was his fault I was branded at four years old.

He saw my "potential", even then. He put weapons in a child's hands and turned it into a machine.

My first mission was after I had been branded. It was dangerous, not something you would usually entrust with such a young one as I. But my size and age allowed me to complete it with ease. You wouldn't expect a little kid to pack heat and kill without remorse.

But I made a mistake. My number was seen. Amateurs flooded the Numbers with requests to join the organization. Complaints were made about "child abuse".

I was punished, and shoved into the darkness, where I would continue my work without acknowledgement. I could not go out without taking extra precautions to cover the number branded into my thigh. I wasn't allowed to wear shorts, skirts, or dresses. I hid my scar with a gun holster when on a mission.

One night, I was sent to a residential area on a mission. My assignment was to kidnap a boy that was two or three years older than I. He was an orphan. His parents had been killed.

He had abilities that would, perhaps, be able to surpass mine.

He was _interesting _to my father.

I hated him. I wanted to go against my orders and kill him on sight. My jealousy made my anger flare. But I completed my mission. After he was retrieved, my fears were confirmed.

I was tossed away like a toy that was no longer interesting.

That _boy_. He took everything from me. My father praised him and he was given all the attention that I deserved.

He was given the number thirteen. He _belonged_. In my father's eyes, I would never be a true number. I was a mistake. A leftover. Fourteen would always be fourteen, no matter what. Whatever I did, 13 got the credit. I was just a tool, something to be used until it was no longer needed, all the while watching the others succeed and flourish from the darkness.

But I would show them. Show them that XIV was more than just a tool. Everyone, especially my father, would know my power.

And I would show Train Heartnet what it was like to know what it was like to have everything be ripped away.

He would know how much it hurt.

-------BCIY---------

A/N: I know, really short again. I'm just trying to transition into the action. I'm looking forward to your reviews! :3


	3. II: Discovery

A/N: I've decided to update this once a week starting September 11th. You should expect each new chapter on a Friday. If I get slammed with homework, I should still have 'em done by Sunday. Sorry for the wait.

------------TRAIN-----------

I had been summoned to meet with Wilgar. It was a pain; I preferred just getting my orders and doing whatever I wanted in between. I didn't pass anyone on my way to his office. The hallways were dim, and I stalked in the shadows.

When I got to Wilgar's door, I froze just as I was turning the knob. I had heard his voice-

And then the voice of a young woman.

"You blew the mission!" Wilgar raged. Even in his anger, I could hear the fear in his voice.

"Mistakes happen." The woman responded coolly, apparently not too worried that she had upset the man. I heard footsteps coming closer to the door and tensed. They stopped suddenly.

"You were recognized! No one was supposed to …." His voice quieted after his snarling retort and I strained to hear what he said. It was no use; I couldn't hear him.

"Now, now." The same cool voice rang out and this time a hint of annoyance was heard. Her voice got low and I had to plant my ear to the door. I still couldn't hear most of what she said. "You didn't expect me to hide…Would have happened eventually…Fourteen?" Wilgar growled loudly and I heard a feminine chuckle.

"It had to be done!" Wilgar snapped. I heard a slam and then the girl growled as well. Her voice got even lower and I could only catch small phrases of what she said.

"No! …was necessary…your life simpler!" Wilgar let out a little whine in the back of his throat and then coughed to cover it up.

"You…" His voice faltered off, and I could tell he wasn't going to say any more than that.

"Don't treat me like a child." She snarled, and I heard Wilgar take a step back. "You brought this upon yourself. There is no point in placing the blame on me." I turned the knob and stepped in, still in the shadows of Wilgar's office.

"Sir…?" I prompted, and violet eyes flashed in my direction. The girl was young-looking; she had to be two or three years younger than I. Her hair was black and worn long. I eyed the holster at her hip and she glared at me.

"We'll continue this later." Wilgar ordered, prompting a glare from the girl. He tried to ignore her, but I could see he was trembling slightly. The girl scoffed and she walked out, followed by a wolf-like dog I had not seen before. It sniffed at me before following its owner out. Wilgar stared after her for a few minutes before I cleared my throat.

"Who was that?" I asked, causing Wilgar to jump. He got a shifty look in his eye as he turned to face me.

"Nobody important." I saw that he was lying. He must have been too shaken up to hide it. I frowned at him, but he was only half paying attention to me. He was wringing his hands and searching the room.

"Hn. You don't need to lie to me. Who was it really?" I paused and look pointedly at his hands. "…You're shaking." It was unusual for him to be frightened. He only shook his head, this time looking more focused.

"It's not important now. I have a mission for you…"

----

A/N: I'll try to update by Sunday since I didn't update for a while. Confrontation next chapter.


	4. III: Confrontation

A/N: Moment of silence for those lost on 9/11/01. This chapter is dedicated to my reviewers, a very rare race unfortunately. Thank you firefox369, 4get me not, and kumiko210 for reviewing. C'mon the rest of you readers! It's not that hard…just click the little button at the bottom of the page ; chapter includes the previous chapter in Kagome's view and more :D

------KAGOME------

I sat high up on a tree branch in the shadows, watching through a window.

It was a party, and I was going to crash it. Violently.

My wolf friend, Shade, was at the base of the tree, his ears perked up as he listened for any disturbances. He growled suddenly and the bushes nearby rustled.

A black cat sauntered out, jumped on top of a trash can, then leaped to the window I was watching. I tsk'ed and jumped at it, causing it to screech loudly and jump down. I crashed through the window and there were screams.

I saw my target's horrified face, and then I saw the bodyguards reach for their guns.

They were quick, but I was quicker. I drew and shot my target in the head. The other party guests continued to scream and ran for the door. The guards began firing at me and I dodged most of the bullets, making sure I was in view of the bystanders.

I let one graze my leg. It made me bleed, but it also revealed the number on my thigh through the rip in my pants. I ripped off my wig and through it at one of the guests. A guard shouted, and I saw the other guards look at my leg in alarm.

"Fourteen?!" And then I killed them. Three more shots and I had done it.

I was revealed. I shot the light and escaped once again through the window. Once I was outside again, I signaled for Shade to come back around to the front. I almost jumped as something rubbed against my leg, and relaxed when I saw it was only the cat.

"Hmph." I snorted, crouching on my knees. "I suppose I can't hate you just because you share a name with _him_." I scratched behind its ears and petted it for a little bit, and it mewed. I liked pretty much all animals, and they all liked me. It was just a quirky thing. I sighed, and stood up. "Time to go…" I murmured, leaving the cat to yell at me as Shade trotted up to me.

I smirked at the house and disappeared into the shadows.

---BCIY---

Later, I was called into Wilgar's office, just as expected.

His furious expression was also expected.

"You blew the mission!" It was obvious that he was both uneasy and angry. I shrugged and stared at him without shame.

"Mistakes happen." I replied, nonchalant. I gave him a look that said "are we done?" and walked toward the door. He grabbed my arm and I spun around to face him, my eyes burning. I hated it when he touched me.

"You were recognized! No one was supposed to…" his voice quieted after he began bellowing out his retort. "No one, not even the numbers, was supposed to know you existed." My glare intensified and he released his grip.

"Now, now." I tried to keep my voice calm and dignified, but I'm sure he knew I was a little more than annoyed. I leaned in closer to him and he started to sweat. "You didn't expect me to hide forever, did you 'father'?" I cooed, my voice low and dangerous. "The Numbers would have found out eventually. Everyone would have. They're not that stupid. Why did you erase me, instead of letting there be a fourteen?" I ground out the last word. "You wouldn't be in this situation now if you had done so." I informed him in a friendly voice. He growled and I had to laugh at him. _How pathetic…_

"It had to be done!" Wilgar snapped. I slammed my hands on the desk and he jumped. I let out a true growl and he stared at me disbelievingly. My voice got dangerously quiet and despite the sweat leaking out of his face he leaned in closer to hear me.

"No." I asserted, my voice gravelly and perhaps even slightly evil sounding. "None of it was _necessary_." I bared my teeth, enunciating each word. "You just wanted to make your life simpler!" I heard a whine in the back of his throat and grinned widely. He coughed once, and then folded his arms.

"You…" He attempted to be stern and cold, but he only succeeded in making himself look weak and foolish.

"Don't treat me like a child." I snarled. He took a step back. "You brought this upon yourself. There is no point in placing the blame on me." I heard the knob turn and shot an angry look at the door.

_He _walked through it and I scowled.

"Sir?" He looked at Wilgar like a good little kitty. When his eyes traveled to me I made sure that my eyes conveyed my hate to him. I wanted to draw my gun and shoot him between the eyes right then and there. My hand twitched, and then Wilgar spoke.

"We'll continue this later." He ordered. I turned my head suddenly toward him and glared. He wasn't looking at me, but I saw he was trembling and scoffed. I turned on my heel and walked towards the door, not having to tell Shade to follow me. He stopped a moment to sniff Train before following after me.

I stayed close for a few minutes. After a rather long silence, Train cleared his throat.

"Who was that?" He asked, most likely causing Wilgar to freak out all over again.

"Nobody important."

"Tch." I scowled and started to walk away when I heard Train again.

"Hn. You don't need to lie to me. Who was it really?" _Hmph._ I thought to myself. _He's not as stupid as he looks. _"…You're shaking." My lip curled. _He's observant too. Wilgar was almost able to suppress his fear, even from me._ I shook my head clear and walked off. It was obvious Wilgar wouldn't tell the Numbers about me.

I would just have to tell them myself.

---BCIY---

I sat in my room, brooding. Shade was asleep, cuddled up to me on the bed. When he was like this, you would never guess he could be a vicious killer.

I wondered if I looked like that when I slept.

I scowled and hunched up. Now was the time to plan. I needed to be revealed. I had been in the darkness far too long. It had seeped into my skin. I looked out my window, the one luxury my "father" had given me other than a bed and a dresser.

The moon was full and shone a bloody red. It probably made my eyes have a red tint.

I needed to have my freedom. I needed to be on the outside looking in, not vice versa.

I would get out eventually.

Even if I had to kill every last one of the Numbers. Nothing would stand in the way of my freedom.

I tensed as my door opened. Wilgar had enough sense to knock, and he was the only one who knew I was here. The light from the hallway spilled in and I squinted my eyes.

Number XIII stood in my doorway.

---BCIY---

A/N: Another chapter so soon? Yay me! Heh, just kidding.

I have made it my mission to have each chapter be longer than the last. Next chapter will be the long awaited first battle between Train and Kagome! I'm starting to think about pairings, so if you have any suggestions just review!


	5. IV: First Battle

A/N: 9 was wicked, and once again Tim Burton produced a masterpiece. You guys should go see it if you haven't already. I tried to make the fight scene epic.

---BCIY---

His yellow eyes glowed as he stared into my darkened room at me. He shook his brown hair out of his face and narrowed his eyes. I glared at him and scowled.

He smiled.

"Hello." He greeted, nodding respectfully. I stiffened and got off the bed. Shade snuffed and rolled over, not waking up. I said nothing. His smile didn't lessen, but he did put his hands in the pockets of his long, black coat. "We haven't been formally introduced. I'm Train Heartnet." I stared at him and then looked at his Hades.

"Are you here to give me bad luck?" I responded testily, my lip curling. He looked a little surprised. My eyes flickered past him into the hallway. He was alone.

"No." He replied good-naturedly. He looked like he was searching me over. "I just wanted to see the one Wilgar didn't think was important enough to share with me." I bared my teeth at him, showing off my long canines. An idea of my fathers, to mix my blood with Shade's. The wonders of technology. He only chuckled. "How old are you, little girl?" I growled, my hands itching to close around his throat.

"Go away before something bad happens to _you_, Black Cat." His teeth flashed in a quick smirk.

"Now, is that any way to speak to your elders? You're certainly big for your britches." I snarled and Shade's head lifted up. He looked from me to Train, snorted, and went back to sleep. He obviously wasn't worried.

"I hold seniority over you, cat." I took a step towards him and he looked bemused. "I've been here far longer than you." His eyes were disconcerting. It was like he was searching my soul. The idiot wouldn't have known what to do if he could see it in its full glory.

"Oh?" His amusement at my expense grated my nerves. I smiled cruelly and took another step forward.

"Yes. Poor little orphan boy, left all alone…His parents are dead…Why not take advantage of the opportunity?" His smile disappeared. "What the poor little orphan boy didn't know was that his mother and father were killed by an itty-bitty baby girl." His eyes flashed and a low growl rang out in his chest.

"You don't know anything, little girl. Watch what you say." I smirked.

"Is the little kitty mad?" I purred, reaching for my gun. Train's eyes narrowed further and his hand twitched. My smile widened. "It was all too easy. They didn't even put up a fight. All they did was scream, and that was easy to end." I made a gun with my thumb and pointer finger and pointed it at an imaginary person kneeling before me. "Bang!" His shoulders hunched and his expression grew venomous. "What are you gonna do about it?" He grabbed Hades' hilt and I drew my Browning 9x19mm High Power pistol and shot at him.

He dodged it and ran at me. I slipped past him, not wanting anything to happen to my room. He glared at me, not reacting much to my speed. He wouldn't underestimate me for long. I would show him my power, and he would know fear.

Since I wasn't a number, I wasn't granted an Orichalcum weapon, but I felt confident that I would defeat him.

My hatred would fuel my natural abilities. He was nowhere near my strength. He shot at me as I ran down the hall and I ducked, skidding to a halt. He couldn't stop himself in time and I lifted him over my back with his momentum and threw him into the wall. He collided with it with a loud bang and I ran off, giggling.

This was more fun than I realized it would be.

It didn't take him long to recover and he was close on my trail. Unfortunately, he hadn't broken anything. Yet. I was leading him to where I knew Wilgar and the Numbers were gathered, in the meeting hall. I stopped again in the courtyard leading to the hall, and he had learned better. He stopped a few feet from me.

"Who are you?" He snarled. Hades was pointed at my chest. I laughed. The look on his face, that murderous rage, was like an exquisite meal to me. I could feel my enjoyment bubbling up in my chest.

"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough." I taunted, giving a toothy smile. I dropped low to the ground and tried to trip him up with my leg, but he jumped up high and shot at me again. I leaped over him as he was coming back down and drove him into the ground with a kick to his back. His grip on Hades loosened and it flew out of his hand. "You should lighten up," I told him, standing on top of him while his face was in the dirt. "It could do you some good." He lifted up his head, turned his body swiftly, and kicked out at me. I dodged the kick, laughing and doing a back flip over to where Hades had fallen. I picked up the gun and observed it with fascination.

"Give that back." He ordered, ticked off that I had gotten the better of him again. Like I would just listen to him. What an idiot. Fortunately for him, I was in too good of a mood to just kill him now. He hadn't suffered nearly enough. I nuzzled the gun and sighed happily.

"It's so pretty…" I drawled. I hadn't felt this free in all of my years. But…I hadn't forgotten the true purpose of this duel, although it had been exhilarating not having to hide in the shadows. My eyes stared intensely over the gun at him and he stopped in his tracks. "This should be mine. It is my right." I was suddenly so serious it must have thrown him off, because he looked puzzled and less out of control. He would probably be more focused now.

I turned on my heel and started walking towards the door that led to the lobby of the meeting hall. He didn't lose a second and lunged at me. I swung around and punched him in the stomach as he grazed the top of my head with his fist. He was fast, but I was faster. I backed up so that my back was to the double doors that lead into the meeting hall and waited for him to come after me. I holstered my gun and waved his in the air. "Here kitty, kitty." He sprung at me and I dodged out of the way.

He crashed through the doors and I heard a cry of alarm. I rested Hades on my shoulder and walked calmly through the splintered doors.

"Ugh…" Train was on the floor. He wasn't as injured as I would have liked for such a grand entrance, but I could deal with it. He had a few cuts and bruises at least. For some reason, my cheek was bleeding. He might have grazed me with a bullet and I didn't notice. Oh well. Back to the matter at hand.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman. I believe my father would like to say something to you." Wilgar looked terrified, dismayed, and very, _very _angry. All of the Numbers except Train, who had sat up and was glaring at me, were staring at me like I was crazy and had their weapons drawn.

They might have been partially right.

---BCIY---

A/N: It wasn't a whole lot longer than last chapter, but it was still longer. It took me a while to get the battle scene perfect. Next chapter, Kagome is revealed?! Wilgar seems pretty pissed. Kagome might have to watch out otherwise she'll be killed. The Numbers seem ready to throw down.

For those of you wondering if I'll ever go more in depth into Kagome's past and how Wilgar altered her body and how she met Shade and all that jazz…

There will be a few chapters later dedicated to that topic. Patience, young readers.

AP Biology will be probably the biggest thing in the way of me updating on time, but I'm sure it won't be a problem. The next few months I'm a part of the Theater company at my school in their production of Willy Wonka, so that might make me a day or two late as well, but I promise to update twice as fast if I'm late.


	6. V: Revelation

A/N: Gotta think positive! I hope you guys like this chapter.

---BCIY---

I smirked as my gaze slowly went about the fancy room. I had defeated Wilgar's precious Thirteen. Most of the numbers were looking at Wilgar with confused looks on their faces. The others looked at me warily, ready to draw their weapons.

A beautiful woman was staring right at me. She had long blond hair and her blank blue-eyed stare was irritating me.

"What!" I snapped, causing the rest of the numbers to grip their weapons again. Train got to his feet. His shoulders tensed like he was about to pounce at me.

"Wait, Train." Wilgar demanded. Train looked at him with an angry and impatient expression. Wilgar sighed, rubbing his temples and looking very tired. I bristled. He was acting as if I was only a child throwing a tantrum. I could kill every last one of the Numbers in this room. "Calm down, Kagome." He had seen the look in my eye. I hunched my shoulders and put my hands in my pockets.

"Why should I, old man?" I spat, wanting to slap his wrinkled face. He only frowned at me.

"Who is this child?" The pretty lady's voice was calm, but inquisitive. It made me want to scare her. Make her scream.

"Who are you calling-" Train slammed his fists on the table, cutting me off.

"Who the hell is she, Wilgar?" He hissed, his long black coat fluttering with his movement. Wilgar gave Train a warning look, and the Black Cat folded his arms and looked away.

"She…" He hesitated. I could tell that still, with all that I had proved, he did not want the Numbers to know about me. Why? Why was I such a nasty secret?

"Tell them Wilgar." I ordered with a growl, taking a step forward. Wilgar stiffened and a man with shoulder-length green hair stood up with a cocky smile.

"Woah, let's calm down alright guys?" He looked over at Wilgar. "I kinda want to know too. Why is there a young lady on the grounds?" Wilgar grimaced and looked at me. He looked a little disgusted and it pissed me off.

"Well, Jenos… All of you…I admit I have been hiding a few things from Chronos." I clenched my fists. He was hesitating again. I wanted to attack him, but I restrained myself. The woman narrowed her eyes.

"What kind of things, Wilgar?" She seemed angry. Wilgar looked at her sheepishly.

"Sephira…Well…" He looked up at me. This was it. I ignored Train's glare at me. "This is Kagome. She is…" Out of the corner of my eye I saw Train perk up. "She is a number." A general muttering sprung up right away. Train looked shocked and dismayed.

"W…WHAT?!" He yelled angrily, astonishment and fury twisting his face. "How can that be?" I smirked at his reaction.

"That's right little kitty. I'm a number, and I'm better than-"

"Only technically, however." Wilgar interrupted me. I glared at him, baring my teeth. Sephira tapped a finger on the table.

"What do you mean by 'technically', Wilgar?" She asked quietly, her eyes showing just enough irritation to show Wilgar she wasn't going to tolerate his games.

"Well…" He started, not liking where this was going. "She is branded with the number XIV." Sephira slowly looked at me, sizing me up. I skin prickled and I scowled at her.

"Who are you, lady?" I snapped, furrowing my brow. She chuckled at me. I bared my teeth.

"I am number I." I sniffed at her and scuffed my heel. She looked at me again for a moment and then turned back to Wilgar. "She is just a child, Wilgar. What good is she to you?" I wanted to scream. I knew that I could kill her, even with her Orichalcum weapon, whatever it was. I was powerful. My age had nothing to do with it. He looked uncomfortable.

"She isn't just a child, Sephira. She was altered." I smirked at her. My DNA made me better than any of them. Sephira's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Nanotechnology?" She hissed. Wilgar nodded reluctantly. "Do you know how dangerous and unstable that is, you fool?" He seemed like a lectured child.

"What does that matter?" I boomed out, causing some of the numbers to jump. "Now that the Numbers know about me, Wilgar, I want to come out of the shadows. I want to be a number!" I ordered, folding my arms. I saw Train was doing the same thing and my hands shot down to my sides. He smirked at me, his eyes still angry.

"I'm afraid that would not be possible, little girl." A bald man spoke up, and I directed my fury at him. "You are just a child, and there are already thirteen Numbers." I wanted to pull my hair out.

"What is wrong with you people!" I exclaimed, my hands twitching. I wanted to kill them. All of them, especially Wilgar.

Especially Train.

"He is right, Kagome." Wilgar again. I didn't face him. I couldn't. I would attack him, and while it would be satisfying at the moment, I might regret it later. "There has always only been thirteen of the Numbers. Unless one of the Numbers dies, there is no need for a fourteenth." This time I did turn to him, a subtle smirk on my face and a murderous glow in my eyes.

"Unless one of them dies, hm?" I repeated, my hand reaching for my gun unconsciously. "That could be arranged." And before even I knew what was happening, I lunged at Train.

Twelve people came after me the moment I moved. Jenos reached me first.

He tried to restrain me, but his grip was soft. I broke out of his grasp and punched him hard. He went down.

People were always underestimating me. Still, I was taken too lightly, even after their prodigy's defeat. I snarled and squeezed my gun tighter. Just as I raised my gun to Train's chest, he dodged out of the way and Sephira grabbed me from behind. My gun went off and the bullet blasted through the already damaged door. I heard a grunt from outside and then was occupied with wrestling with Sephira. She had a surprisingly strong grip, but I was almost free before the others surrounded me.

"Get the fuck away! Get off! Go to hell you stupid idiots! I'm going to kill you!" I screamed and hollered, continuously trying to get out of Sephira's grip. Jenos was up again and in my face. What surprised me was he was smiling.

"That was a helluva right hook there, girl." I spat at him.

"The name's Kagome, you son of a bitch." I ground out, stilling for a second. His smile grew wider.

Suddenly, there was a sweet smell invading my nose. I felt exhausted. My vision got blurry, and I slumped in Sephira's arms. Just before I passed out, I heard Wilgar's voice.

"Don't hurt her." I couldn't see, but his voice was demanding. It was like he was protecting me. It felt kinda…good…"Do you know how much money was spent on creating her?" My heart felt like a stone, slowly sinking into my stomach.

Then, the darkness swallowed me again.

---BCIY---

I woke up in a room that wasn't mine.

It was similar, but it didn't have that…Familiarity. I felt a little groggy, but otherwise fine. Shade was at the foot of my bed, staring at me. He had a muzzle on. It looked a little silly. I giggled and he glared at me.

"The dog tried to bite Train when he went into your room." A voice from the doorway explained. I turned toward it suddenly and got a little woozy.

It was Sephira.

I glowered at her. She stared blankly at me.

"What do you want." I grumbled mulishly. "And Shade is a wolf." I added. She smiled.

"You really are just a child, aren't you?" I glared at her.

"I am not a child!" I retorted. "I'm fourteen years old." Her face got a little sad and I scooted away from her. I looked at Shade. "Shade knows I'm an adult. Right?" He snorted and my brow furrowed. Sephira grew silent and I looked at her suspiciously. "What are you doing here?" She looked at me with a pensive look.

"Wilgar told me about you." My face clouded and I rolled over to face the wall. "He said that you were infused with wolf's blood and nanomachines." I didn't answer. "Did he experiment on you?" I nodded slightly. "When did these tests take place?"

I stayed silent for a few minutes, glaring at the wall. She waited patiently. Finally I turned towards her, hiding slightly under the covers.

"When I was five."

---BCIY---

A/N: Next chapter is a flashback chapter!


	7. VI: Speculation

A/N: I'm taking a week off on writing this fanfic, but I'll have another chapter posted by the 16th of October.

---BCIY---

Sephira pulled up a chair to my bed. I was still too woozy to move much. She laid a hand next to mine on the bed, but didn't touch me. I wasn't sure what to think of her. She had a stoic expression, but it didn't seem as hostile as some of the other numbers were.

She waited for me to start my story.

Well, the best way to place was at the beginning.

"I had come to think of the Chronos Headquarters as a home by the time I was branded."

…

_It had already been two years since mommy and daddy sent me to live with papa Wilgar. At first I had been scared, but papa Wilgar was really nice. He gave me my own room and paid a lot of attention to me._

_I got kind of mad at mommy and daddy because they never paid attention to me. And then they sent me away._

"_When is mommy and daddy gonna visit me, Wilgar?" I asked. He had told me to start calling him daddy, but it didn't really sound right when I said it. I would think it in my head, but it was weird. _

"_Call me "father" from now on, Kagome." He patted my head with his big heavy hand and smiled sadly._

"_What's wrong, Wilgar?" I asked, forgetting again. He made a sad face and pulled me into a hug. _

"_You won't ever see your other parents again. I know it's hard, but you might as well forget them." It was already a rule not to cry ever, so I had to be happy instead. I pulled up my cheeks and showed my teeth._

"…_Yes, father." _

_---BCIY---_

_I had to learn all sorts of things. Some things were kind of fun, like playing and exercising. _

_Some things were not so fun._

_Some things I had to practice til my hands hurt bad and bled._

"_Try again! You have to get it right!" I had a cold weapon in my hands. Uncle said that it had to be an extension of my arm. Uncle always taught me the things that weren't fun. He never was nice and he never hugged me like papa Wilgar did._

_When I pulled the trigger, the gun went BANG! And I got scared and dropped it. I missed the target._

"_AGAIN!" And then Uncle would hit me. He didn't prune his punches. _

_Eventually I was more scared of getting hit then I was of the loud noise._

_I hit the center every time now. Papa Wilgar was really happy with my progress. He said that I was getting really good and soon I would get a promotion._

_I didn't know what that meant, but it made me happy. I practiced and practiced until I could hit the center without looking._

_---BCIY---_

_Then Uncle brought in a man. _

_The man looked scared._

_When the man looked at me, he started to cry. His eyes were big and round, and he wet his pants. He looked so frightened. Uncle laughed, and told me that crying was weak and to say so to the man._

"_Crying is weak." I repeated, my usual blank face staring at the man. I was curious as to why the man was so scared. Uncle looked happy though. I looked up at him and he grinned. _

"_Men who cry deserve their fate." Uncle gave me a look that said to do what he wanted. "Isn't that right Kagome? Ask the man if he knows what his fate is." I nodded slowly and then turned back to the man._

"_Do you know what your fate is?" The man started begging and he fell on his knees. I frowned at him. He seemed like a big baby. Uncle laughed._

"_Hit the target, Kagome."_

_So I laughed too. And then, I hit the center, just like Uncle taught me. _

_The man kept crying, but his tears were red this time. _

_---BCIY---_

_The smell of blood. The feel of it running down my leg._

_Pain. Not someone else's; mine._

_All of this passed over my head._

_All I could think about was Wilgar's smiling face while XIV was be sliced into my thigh. I couldn't cry, and even thinking about screaming made my stomach sick._

_I learned to have a blank face and not show my real feelings._

"_You're Number Fourteen now." Wilgar was so excited. He picked me up from my chair, even before my brand had been bandaged, and crushed me in a smelly hug. I didn't like it. This wasn't fun. But…I sort of felt like I belonged now, like I had been nameless before and now I had an identity in Chronos._

_I felt grown up._

_Now I had to act like it._

…

"For a little while, Wilgar sent me on missions. They were easy enough, but I made mistakes. I was punished for the mistakes, but those punishments were nothing to what reward I got for the successes." I didn't see pity anywhere in Sephira's gaze, and I didn't want it. I was uncomfortable enough talking to her while I was so vulnerable, but I didn't show it. I just treated the situation as a debriefing.

…

_After an assassination that I had succeeded in completing, Wilgar brought me to his office. I sat obediently in his lap while he stroked my hair and cooed in my ear._

"_Kagome, you are almost the perfect weapon…" He purred, his fat fingers tangling in my hair. "But almost isn't enough." I couldn't understand what I had done wrong. I had always done what he told me. I succeeded in my missions. I kept my identity a secret."It's not your fault," He elaborated, sensing my change in mood. I sat still and kept a straight face. "No _human_ is good enough to be a perfect weapon." I slid off of his lap and turned towards him._

"_Then I don't want to be human." I replied with determination. His smile was almost predatory._

"_I was hoping you would say that."_

_---BCIY---_

_Later that day I went with Wilgar to the west side of the headquarters, where I hadn't been allowed to go before. I was blindfolded and Wilgar held my hand and led me along. We stopped for a second in front of a door and he grabbed his keycard and swiped it. There was a double beep and he led me in._

"_Kagome, this is the Chronos doctor." Wilgar introduced, untying my blindfold. I looked around the room. It was a bland office. I glanced at the old man in a lab coat skeptically. He was bald and his nose was too big for his face. Also he was staring at me weird, like I was a fun new toy that he was gonna play with. I bowed my head respectively and the doctor only continued to stare. _

"_Hello Doctor." I greeted, standing with my feet shoulder-width apart and my hands behind my back. _

"_She's a good looking specimen, Wilgar." The doctors voice was whispery, and it bothered my ears. I didn't like his tone either; it was like he was talking about an animal. "She'll do very well for this experiment." I narrowed my eyes slightly. Wilgar looked back at my excitedly and smiled. _

"_Very good. You'll be using nanomachines, correct?" The scientist-doctor hesitated. _

"_Well, you see Wilgar…" My father didn't look happy. _

"_What is it?" He growled. "You better not have lied to me." He looked back at me and I put my hand on my holster. The scientist-doctor gulped. _

"_N-no, that's not it Wilgar. It's just, instead of just nanomachines, the experiment will be mixing her DNA with the DNA of a wolf-pup. It has very exciting results from what previous tests I have done." His eyes gleamed in the dim light of the office. "She will be faster, stronger, better. Her senses will increase their effectiveness tenfold, especially with the mix of wolf DNA and nanomachines. The nanomachines will make sure her body doesn't reject the foreign materials." I perked up at the sound of that._

"_I'll be perfect?" I asked tentatively, watching Wilgar for a signal to be quiet. The scientist-doctor's hungry eyes gleaned into me again._

"_Well, there is a slight side effect of increased aggression. But that can be remedied." I stepped forward and the scientist-doctor seemed startled. _

"_Well, what are you waiting for?" I shoved up my sleeve and showed him my forearm. "Let's do it now!" Wilgar seemed to smother a laugh. _

"_It won't do for you to seem impatient." He scolded, the sides of his mouth twitching with laughter. I felt a little silly and lowered my arm. The scientist-doctor clucked his tongue against his teeth. _

"_We have lots of preliminary tests to run before the experiment even begins, Wilgar. I suggest we begin." Father's face turned serious and he pushed me gently towards the doctor._

"_Right."_

…

I looked at Sephira. She was looking at me with a constant intensity. I stared right back at her with defiance, and she smiled. I wrinkled my nose.

"I was five, so I got really bored with the physical, psychological, and sociological tests that Tennor – the doctor," I added, although she seemed to know who I was talking about. "The tests that Tennor ran. I was impatient to get the experiment started." I looked at the end of my bed where Shade lay asleep.

…

_I stared into the golden eyes of the wolf-pup in the cage and he stared back. We were both hooked up to machinery and our heart rates were being monitored and there was a lot of annoying background noises that I had to ignore. His black fur was smooth and soft-looking. _

"_You'll be asleep for most of the process," Tennor explained in what he probably hoped was a soothing voice but ended up being one that just was creepy. The thought of him messing about with my essence while I laid helpless was unnerving, but I dealt with it. I looked at the pup again._

"_What's his name?" I asked, getting my mind off of the subject. The scientist-doctor looked surprised._

"_Name?" He repeated. "Well, this pup has been designated DR-702. It doesn't really have a _name_." I frowned. For some reason that made me really irritated. I might have accidently glared at Tennor because he looked at me with a little bit of fear in his eyes. "You can give it a name if you like." _

_I stared at the pup again. It seemed like more of a big deal than what was logical. Naming anything was a big deal though. The pup blinked slowly and yawned at me._

"_Shade…" I murmured, and the pup's ears twitched forward. Tennor came towards me and I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. _

"_Just breathe regularly." He explained, putting a plastic looking mouth piece over my mouth. "Count backwards from ten." I looked at him skeptically but obeyed._

"_Ten. Nine. Ayyyy…" Suddenly everything got blurry and then it went black._

…

"And then I'm not really sure what happened." I looked towards the wall again. "It was all a bit obscure. I woke up a few days later and felt like shit." I furrowed my brow as I heard another set of footsteps coming towards this unfamiliar room. Sephira must have been aware of them as well, because she turned toward the door and we both waited for whoever it was to arrive.

There was a knock on the door.

"Kagome-." Wilgar entered the room and stopped suddenly when he saw Sephira was there. I smirked at his expression. "Sephira. I'd like to talk to Kagome alone, please." She glanced at me and I realized she was asking me if that was what I wanted. I dismissed her with a turn of my head.

She brushed past Wilgar with a slight glare and walked out.

"Kagome," Wilgar repeated, leaning against the wall. "I have discussed things with the numbers." I sat up excitedly. This was it! He was going to tell me that I was now an official number!

But he wasn't looking at me.

"They have all agreed it would be best if your existence is kept as a secret. They will all act as if they haven't met you."

---BCIY---

A/N: A little bit of Kagome's past revealed, though not in detail. Next chapter: VII: Defection


	8. VII: Defection

A/N: Kay so, I've been really just working on this chapter ^_^; Good News and Bad News: bad news, this computer that I'm working on sucks and I really hate to use it and thusly updates are slower than I expected, good news, I'm getting a laptop tomorrow and therefore, updates will speed up! [hopefully.]

-BCIY-

I went against all my training and every single thought and feeling that bubbled up in my chest when Wilgar spoke those words. I didn't wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze the life out of him. I didn't draw my gun and shoot him in between the eyes. I didn't keep a calm face.

I stood, frozen. I looked Wilgar straight in the face, taking in his somber and yet pleased expression.

"What?" My voice cracked. Wilgar looked startled.

"You're crying." He observed, the awe in his voice causing my heart to squeeze painfully. My hands started shaking.

Suddenly my mind went blank.

"No." I whispered. Wilgar furrowed his brow and stiffened.

"I'm sorry." He didn't mean it. "That's just the way it has to be." He looked uncomfortable for a moment. "And, I'm afraid you must be punished." I didn't react. "You were told numerous times not to reveal yourself. In attacking Train, you broke the rule of not harming the members of this organization without permission. Also…" He turned his head over his shoulder for a moment. I looked behind him, but could see no one. "While fighting train, one of your stray bullets hit another member, although he is not a number. I will arrange for you to apologize to Creed once your punishment is completed." I couldn't really retain anything he was saying. I didn't want to. I just wanted to get away…

"No." I reiterated, my temper boiling up again and destroying the emptiness of my expression. "No. I will not apologize. I will not be punished." My voice got louder and louder and Wilgar flinched. "Get the fuck out. Get away from me!" I shrieked, pushing him out of my doorway, slamming the door shut, and locking it. I looked around the room for a moment and Shade looked at me curiously. I looked in the dresser and started throwing my clothes onto the bed. Obviously I was making a lot of noise, because Wilgar started pounding on the door.

"What are you doing in there, Kagome? Throwing a tantrum won't help." He yelled through the door. "You're just destroying property." I picked up the chair Sephira had been sitting in and threw it at the door. It shattered.

"Shut up, Wilgar! I'm tired of you telling me what to do! I'm tired of you forcing me into the shadows!" I howled, tears leaking down my face again. I violently brushed them from my eyes with my sleeve and continued to gather all of my possessions. "I'm leaving!"

There was silence on the other side of the door.

"What?" He croaked. I sent an angry smile towards him.

"I said I'm leaving." I hissed loudly. "You can't stop me. And if you try, I'll kill you and every last one of your Numbers." Wilgar blubbered and a whine built up in his throat.

"You can't do that, Kagome." He sounded very sure of himself. I smirked.

"Oh yes I can!" I replied angrily, fighting the urge to stick out my tongue at him. He gave a flustered cough.

"I won't allow it!" I laughed at his floundering logic.

"I don't have to listen to you!" I was feeling the same freedom that had come when I was fighting Train. Wilgar started pounding on the door again.

"You ungrateful beast! After I've taken care of you for all of your life! Your parents abandoned you! I took you in! You have nowhere to go!" I clenched my fists and growled.

"Shut up! I'm not staying in this hellhole!" I grabbed a trash bag from the cabinet and shoved what little possessions I had in it. "See ya!" Wilgar was practically trying to break down the door. I motioned to Shade and went to the window, opened it and jumped out into the night.

-TRAIN-

I sat on the roof, extremely frustrated. After Wilgar got everyone to agree that the girl was best left a secret, he had pulled Sephira aside and the rest of us were left with no information.

"Grraaahh…" I groaned, lying back against the shingles. The black cat that always seemed to follow me around appeared next to me with a disapproving meow. I turned towards it and frowned. "That girl pisses me off." Apparently, the Numbers were going to just forget about the whole thing. But I couldn't. I clenched my fists.

"Meowwwwwrrrr." Great. Now the cat was yelling at me. I stared at it.

"What was with her? She's just a kid, but she fights like a number." I thought back to when she was kicking my ass. And what she said.

"_I hold seniority over you, cat. I've been here far longer than you."_

"_Yes. Poor little orphan boy, left all alone…His parents are dead…Why not take advantage of the opportunity? What the poor little orphan boy didn't know was that his mother and father were killed by an itty-bitty baby girl."_

I slammed my fist on the roof and it shuddered. The cat screeched and jumped away. She was younger than me, but had been a Number for longer than I had. It was obvious she had lied about killing my parents, but the fact that she knew how and when they had died…It unnerved me. It also made me question what Wilgar was thinking. How could he take a girl so young and turn her into a killer?

A loud alarm screamed and made me jump to my feet.

Wilgar stumbled into the courtyard and spotted me on the roof. He looked infuriated.

"Train! Get down here! Kagome is escaping!" I jumped down and landed next to him.

"What do you mean?" I asked calmly, enjoying watching his face turn beet red.

"I MEAN SHE'S ESCAPING! FIND HER! BRING HER BACK!" He bellowed. I narrowed my eyes.

"There's no way she could escape." Wilgar started to reply, but I was already running. The others were searching the mansion, but I figured I could wait her out at the wall. I climbed up a tree that overlooked the wall closest to the woods behind headquarters. Sure enough, a shadow carrying a bag stuffed with clothes and money was sneaking towards where I was. I waited until she was close and jumped down.

"You're very predictable." I observed when my feet hit the ground. She dropped her bag in what I thought was surprise, but she drew her gun just as quickly and kicked out at me. I flew backwards into the wall and was dazed. She came over to me and stood over me, her violet eyes glowing.

"Idiot." She spat, and kicked me in the head. Everything went fuzzy, but I could feel her digging through my pockets before I passed out.

_I _am_ an idiot…_

-KAGOME-

Train thought he could get in my way, but I showed him how powerless he truly was. I had been holding back when I first fought him, and I was sure that he would know that when he woke up.

If I had time, I probably would have killed him.

I suppressed a growl as Shade and I ran through the woods, avoiding tripping or stopping for any reason. The further we got from the Chronos Headquarters, the better. I was lucky enough to find a rudimentary map towards the city in my raid of the Headquarters, but Shade's nose would probably be enough for us to find our way there.

I looked out of the corner of my eye at my wolf companion. He was my only family now; he had always been the one that I could count on as long as I had known him.

He seemed to notice my attention and woofed at me quietly, chastising me for not paying attention. I sighed, knowing this was going to be a long night.

Soon, they would find Train's unconscious body.

When I opened my eyes, the sun was rising. I sat up straight, the bark from the tree I was leaning against digging into my back. I searched the surrounding area quickly, checking to see if I had been found, but my only companion was the one I expected.

Shade lay at my feet, his eyes closed but his ears erect and alert. His black fur lay flat against his slim body, matted and dirty from our run. I'm sure I looked just as bad, if not worse. It didn't matter right now; all I knew was that we needed to disappear, and quick.

Our best bet would be to get a place in the city, but we barely had enough money to supply us with food for the week. Shade couldn't be seen just walking around; a wolf would freak people out and Wilgar would find me for sure.

I didn't want to abandon the one friend I had, but we couldn't stay together. Until I got a place for us to be alone, Shade would have to fend for himself out into the woods. Maybe he sensed what I was thinking about, because Shade opened his eyes and looked at me. I could tell he understood what we had to do.

First things first, I had to disguise myself. Wilgar knew my appearance and now so did the Numbers. I took hold of my hair, which had grown very long since I started living with Wilgar, nearly down to my backside. I drew a knife I had sheathed on my ankle and raggedly cut my hair down to shoulder length.

The first of many sacrifices and changes.

I dug through the bag of stuff I had grabbed and pulled out a baseball cap, a small backpack, a change of clothes and all of the money I had stolen. I changed my clothes, knowing my trademark outfit from Chronos would get me spotted faster than my long hair, and hid what I was wearing in a bush. I could never wear it again if I was to escape.

I left the rest of my things with Shade, knowing they would be safe with him. All I had could be replaced anyway. I sped down the hill and into the city limits, preparing myself to transition into my new life.

I would no longer be Wilgar's puppet.

-TRAIN-

The search went on for hours, but the Numbers had more important things to do than look for a little girl, no matter how strong she was. I doubted we would find her anyway; the forest was huge and the nearest city was at least three days away. The girl would probably be lost in the woods or something.

Wilgar sent out some lackeys to look for her, but it was a half-hearted effort. He was really pissed that she had even escaped the walls. I really didn't give a damn, although I was curious and still pissed off about how she had beaten me so easily. It was useless to work myself up over a damn kid anyway. Wilgar obviously didn't think the same way I did.

"Damn that monster! I took her in, I fed her, I clothed her, I taught her how to fight! How dare she turn on me?" He was ranting and raving at me in his office, like that would do anything. It really pissed me off that he wouldn't give me an assignment. He already had his henchmen looking for her; what did he need me here for?

"Wilgar, give me an assignment. Making me stay here is a waste." I muttered, leaning against the wall and glaring at the floor. He glared at me, his face an unhealthy puce, and sputtered.

"An assignment? AN ASSIGNMENT? YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS TO FIND THAT DAMN KID!" He calmed down immediately when he saw the murderous look I had on my face. He knew not to yell at me or it would piss me off. "Ahem. Train, you must find that girl. I invested a lot of money into her, and if she is not brought back…" Invested money? I must have let curiousness slip onto my face because Wilgar looked uncomfortable. "Perhaps I will debrief you once you bring her back."

Perhaps? I glared at him and strode out of his office, gathering my thoughts.

I would hunt this girl down and then I would get some answers.

A/N: Thanks for your patience guys! I haven't decided on the pairing yet, but if you guys wanna see something go ahead and suggest it.


	9. VIII: Meeting

A/N: Damn, I forgot I even had this account. I really left people hanging, huh? It's been long damn time since I've updated. It's probably bad that I decided to write this chapter in the middle of NaNoWriMo. Even worse that I decided to do it when I'm up to my neck in college classes. Ohhhh well. If my writing style seems different, I hope that's because it has improved. Also the differences between this story and firefox369's will be vast and numerous from this point out.

-BCIY-

The hours since Shade and I had separated had seemed to stretch into years. Once I had descended from the forest into the city in the valley, I tried to avoid being seen as best as I could. I scoped out the suburban landscape quickly and decided it would be best to steer clear of the houses and go straight into the heart of the city.

The buildings there stretched high into the sky and perhaps there would be a landlord willing to rent to a 'kid'. It pissed me off that people still didn't see me as an adult, even if they knew me and knew what I could do. I was sure once I got some cash that I could get anything I needed. It would be easy enough to break into any one of the businesses that lined the busy street. My eyes caught elaborate signs for cafes and one-stop shops, tailors, anything else I could ever think of or dream of. Cars zoomed past and most people passed me without a second glance. The sidewalks were as busy as the roads that crisscrossed the city.

All the sights and sounds and smells – oh gosh my mouth was watering from all the delicious smells that reached my sensitive nose – sort of overwhelmed me, and I forgot to look where I was going. I sensed a millisecond too late that I was too close to a body when I bumped into someone. I caught myself to keep from falling, but the person stumbled and fell backwards.

My eyes took in every detail of the person in the moments it took her to realize she had fallen. It was a woman, a few years older than I, dressed in a strange looking robe. It was rather restrictive, which is probably why she fell. Her short black hair was styled in a bowl cut that looked rather silly to me. The familiar silhouette of a gun was revealed to me as the robe-thing scrunched up and pressed against her thigh.

She groaned and I snapped out of my observation. "Sorry." I muttered, keeping the brim of my hat over my face to hide my too easily remembered violet eyes. I held out a hand and she took it, hoisting herself up. She smiled at me.

It was the most radiant smile I'd ever seen. I found myself aching to do things for her, to make her smile like that all the time. I shook off the odd desire and moved to keep walking.

"Hey, it's okay. Maybe it was fate that we bump into each other." She laughed, a light, twinkling sound, and I felt the same urge as before with her smile. She peered at me and I panicked. Did she recognize me? Was she one of Wilgar's thugs? "Say, shouldn't you be in school? You seem a little young and a little nervous to be wandering around the streets at this time of day." Her smile didn't falter. I felt my mouth forming words before I could even think.

"My family just moved here. I was going to the store to buy milk and bread for the house. I haven't enrolled in school yet." I'd never been in school, but I was pretty sure that's how it went. I'd probably had a similar cover story before. Sure, it was to avoid detection and suspicion as I went to erase someone rather than running away from my previous employer, but it worked the same. The woman nodded sagely and gripped my hand. Her palm was calloused. She probably worked with her hands a lot. From the outline of the gun I saw, I assumed she had similar work to mine.

"Well, welcome to the city! My name is Saya." I smiled, making sure my mouth was shut so she didn't see my elongated canines, and shook her hand.

"I'm Kagome." Oh shit, what a dummy! Why did I use my real name? As I looked her in the face I found that I couldn't lie to her. She gazed deeply at me and seemed to have the same soul-searching, penetrative look as Train did.

"You have very pretty eyes, Kagome!" My eyes widened and I ducked my head. I was doing everything wrong in this encounter. "Oh, sorry! Was that weird? Sometimes I say weird things because I just say what comes to mind!" She blabbered on and I found that it wasn't as annoying as when other people did it.

"Uh, no. I just…" I wracked my brain, which seemed to be getting slower the longer I talked to this woman. "I have a thing." Eloquent. "About my eyes. I'm sensitive." She shrugged her shoulders.

"It's not the weirdest thing I've seen in this city!" I looked down at our hands, which were still held in a handshake. She followed my gaze and then jerked her hand away, giggling nervously. "Sorry. Oh hey!" She peered at me again and once again I panicked. "You look hungry. Do you wanna grab something at a café? I feel bad for bumping into you and getting you all dirty on your first day here. As a citizen I wanna make a good impression on newcomers!" She flashed a smile at me and I found myself nodding without my permission.

"Sure, that would be great. Thank you." She took me by the hand and started dragging me in a direction.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest.

-TRAIN-

It was a waste of my time to try and search the woods for the girl. There were plenty of people doing that already, and if the girl was smart she would have melted into the city crowd already, or at least would soon. From what I had seen in that bag she carried, she didn't have any food, just clothes and money. That kind of stuff wouldn't do you any good in the wild.

I took a motorcycle to the road, planning on searching the city from top to bottom if I had to. The girl was smart, but she was just a kid. I bet the moment she hit the big city she thought she was Scott-free. Sure it would be difficult to scope her out in a large crowd, but if I leaked her description I was sure to get information. A girl with violet eyes, sharp canine teeth, and a wolf following her around was sure to raise a few eyebrows and turn a few heads.

As I rode, I pressed harder at the thought of her smug little childish face, speeding well past the limit. My mouth twisted into a snarl. I couldn't believe she had beaten me so thoroughly. I was lucky that she didn't take my Hades when she knocked me out. On that note I was lucky she hadn't killed me. She could have, had many opportunities to. I couldn't help but wonder why she didn't. She obviously had no love for me or any of the other numbers, and killing me would have twisted Wilgar's panties into a bunch.

I slowed down as I came to the main road and there started to be a little more traffic feeding into the direction I was going. She was a few years younger than me, I could tell by just looking at her. Still, her eyes had an age I couldn't quantify, and if what she said about her seniority was true, she had been killing people even longer than I had.

It was a hard habit to break. If I didn't find her right away I'd just follow the trail of bodies that was bound to crop up. I slowed to a stop as I met a red light at the beginning of the city.

I would find her sooner or later, one way or another.

And then I would have my answers.

-KAGOME-

Watching Saya eat was an enjoyable experience, although a strange one. She had dragged me into a place called 'Cafe Cait Sith'. It was a small establishment, cozy, with very few people inside. That might have been the time of day, though, because from the wear and tear of the furniture and the menus it seemed like the place had to be busy sometimes.

We sat at a table, although most of the other patrons were nursing drinks at the bar. The owner herself had come to serve us. She seemed to be the only one who worked there.

"Hey Annette!" Saya greeted with enthusiasm. "This is Kagome. She and her family just moved here." The owner, an older woman, looked at me skeptically, sizing me up. I stared right back at her, meeting her gaze with a cool one of my own. After a long moment she snorted.

"Where'd you pick this stray up?" I bristled and repressed the urge to bare my fangs at her. Who was she calling a stray? Saya pouted at her.

"I told you, she just moved here with her family! She's not a stray!" Annette rolled her eyes and looked at me pointedly.

"Who's your family consist of, then?" I narrowed my eyes at her. She was more perceptive than she looked, being an old lady and all.

"Just me and my dad."

"What's your dad's name?" Saya's pout deepened.

"What's with the third degree, Annette? She's just a kid." Annette scrutinized me for a moment before turning to Saya.

"I don't want her taking advantage of your hospitality, Saya. She looks and smells like a stray to me. You be careful." She walked away, taking our menus with her. I furrowed my brow.

"I'm not here to take advantage. You invited me here." Saya sighed and put her chin on her hand, resting her elbow on the table top.

"Don't worry about Annette, Kagome. She's not very trusting of new people. She says you never know where they could have come from." I felt a knot develop in my stomach. Was it wrong to keep my past from Saya? I had to, though, to be safe. My eyes were drawn to the table top, avoiding looking at my gracious host.

"She took the menus. We didn't even order." I blurted, not having noticed it before. Saya giggled.

"Oh, she'll bring you something you'll like. She only has menus to give us a semblance of free will." I rolled my eyes. I didn't know whether to like or hate this Annette person. I blinked. It didn't really matter. I probably wouldn't be in this café again. Certainly not with Saya. I found myself wondering how I had gotten dragged in here. I should be looking for a place to stay and lay low, not fraternizing. I toyed with the thought of leaving now, but decided not to.

Annette brought us back some drinks, milk for Saya and tea for me. She left again for the kitchen without a word. I sat in my chair, not knowing what to say.

"Sooooo…" Saya drawled, taking a sip of her milk and eyeing me. "You said you moved here with your dad?" I nodded. She smiled. "I don't mean to be nosy." I shrugged.

"It's fine." I thought of Shade, roaming the woods alone, and frowned. "He and I have been through a lot together. It's been just him and me for a long time." Saya nodded slowly, looking at me with soft eyes. It made me rather uncomfortable.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your mom?" She murmured, her voice soft and soothing to my ears. I shrugged again.

"Dunno. Didn't know her that well." I left it at that and Saya seemed content to let me drop it. I didn't want to start thinking about Wilgar and about…the people that came before him. "So. What do you do?" I asked, trying to shift the focus off of me and on to her. She smiled and I noticed her hand unconsciously patting where I had seen her gun.

"I'm a sweeper." I raised my eyebrows. I had heard of sweepers before. They were sort of like free-lance erasers, but they didn't always kill their targets. It seemed rather reckless to me. I wondered if a regular girl my age would know what they were, so I wouldn't blow my cover.

"I see." I left it at that. Saya pouted and lifted her glass, swirling the milk around.

"You don't approve?" She asked, looking at me from under her eyelashes. My heart fluttered again and I wondered what was wrong with me. I shook my head.

"I don't care. You do what you do to survive." She looked at me as though she were searching for something. She seemed satisfied with what she found. We sat in a silence that was much less awkward than the previous one and then I blinked, a sudden idea popping into my head. "Say, do you know where I could get a job?" It was a risk, asking her, but I had no idea where to start. I didn't want to rely on stealing all my money. That would bring too much attention and leave too much of a trail. Saya chewed on her lip in contemplation.

"Hmmm…" She looked around and pursed her lips. Her eyebrow popped up. "I don't really know. The only jobs I know are available are sweeping jobs, and that's probably not what you're looking for." I wanted to tell her that I was more than capable of taking on any job a sweeper could, but held back. Telling her any more about the truth of who I was would lead to my capture, I was sure.

Annette reappeared with little sandwiches cut into triangles and some delicious looking pastries. I realized I was starving and wanted to dig in right away.

"Oh, hey! I have the perfect idea!" Saya blurted, and I looked up from the food, still trying not to drool from the smell. "Annette, you need an assistant, right? Why not hire Kagome?"

"That would be just about the worst idea you've ever come up with." Annette said this with a straight face and I had to hand it to her. She was the biggest bitch I've ever met. Saya's face fell and I felt like punching something. "She's obviously a minor. I wouldn't want her hanging around here when some of the hardcore sweepers came around. Some of those guys are creeps. Maybe when she grows up a little. Besides, shouldn't she be in school?"

"Oh yeah! Why did you ask about jobs anyway? Won't you be busy in school?" I rolled my eyes, my stomach rumbling.

"I just want to be able to help my dad with the bills. I've been mooching off him my whole life and I figured it's time to repay him." I eyed the tiny sandwiches that were tempting me with their luscious smell and their delicate structure. Annette snorted. I wondered if that was the only kind of laughter she could produce.

"That's his job. You let him worry about bills. You need to experience childhood. Kids nowadays are trying to grow up too fast…" She muttered, walking away. I growled and clenched my fists. I hated being called a kid. There had to be a way that I could make myself looked older. Saya took one of the sandwiches and started tearing into it. I took that as a cue that I could eat as well and stuffed two of them in my mouth, one right after the other, chewed for a second and then swallowed them near whole. I repeated the process a few more times before I realized Saya was staring at me in amusement.

"I skipped breakfast." I explained, swallowing the last bite. She giggled.

The door opened to the café and we both turned and looked.

I felt my heart drop into my stomach when I saw a familiar black trench coat and spiky brown hair-do.


End file.
